Machine for drying sheet material.



PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908.

C. E. MOSS.

MACHINE FOR DRYING SHEET MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.27. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ZIS-

Fig.2.

EB 44 Qttouncgs No. 876,007. PATENTED JAN. '7, 1908. O. E. MOSS.

MACHINE FOR DRYING SHEET MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27. 1907.

3SHEETSSHEET Z.

ddIitursscs gunmltnr M @g A; gttomcgs I N0- 8'76,00'7. PATENTED JAN.7,1908. 0. E. MOSS.

MACHINE FOR DRYING SHEET MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27 1907.

3 SHBETSSHEET 3.

@Iiturssrs 0 W m 3 ,4; gmomcgs I,

gnnpntnr CHARLES E. MOSS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR DRYING SHEET MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed February 27, 1907. Serial No. 359,583.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. Moss, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Drying Sheet Material, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to means for drying sheet material, such aspaper, the invention having articular reference to means for drying b ueprint paper after it has been exposed and developed, the paper beingsaturated with water when it leaves the developing tank.

The invention has for its chief object to provide a simple and effectivemachine for quickly drying sheet material, such as blue print paper, forcontrolling the material and coping it in a smooth condition free fromwrinkles or puckers during the drying operation, and to preventdiscoloration of the paper by the drying surface or surfaces.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed todescribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a drying machine embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary view showing partly'insection and partly in side elevation, one of the dryin cylinders, one ofthe bed rolls supporting 1t and parts of the supporting frame. Fig. 3represents a front elevation of the machine, the lower portion of thesupporting frame being broken away. Fig. 4 represents a section on line4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary top plan view showing oneend portion of the machine. Fig. 6 represents a fragmentary perspectiveview showing parts of two of the belt sections and guides for the same.Fig. 7 represents an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 4. Fig. 8represents a sectional view showing a different embodiment of theinvention The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in allthe figures.

In the drawings 12 and 13 represent bed rolls which are journaled inbearings on a suitable supporting frame 14, the bed rolls beinghorizontally arranged parallel with each other, and separated from eachother by an intervening space. The preferred construction of each bedroll is that shown in detail in Fig. 2, each roll being composed of atubular body portion through which passes a shaft 15 having flangedsleeves 16 which fit the interior of the tubular roll body, the shaftsbeing provided with collars 17 of greater diameter than the roll body,said collars forming cylindrical supporting enlargements at the endportions of the bed roll. The sleeves 16 are preferably engaged byfriction only with the shaft 15, so that the body of the bed roll isadapted to move more slowly than the shaft to permit a yielding rotationof the roll body, or a rotation varying from that of the shaft 15 onwhich is mounted.

18 represents a hollow cylinder, preferably of sheet metal, restingloosely on the enlargements 17 of the bed rolls, and in frictionalengagement therewith, the weight of the cylinder being supported by thebed rolls, so that when the bed rolls are rotated in the same direction,they frictionally rotate the cylinder 18 in the op osite direction.Endwise movement of the ey inder on the bed rolls is prevented by guiderolls 19 mounted on the supporting frame, and bearing against the endsof the cylinder. The bed rolls may be rotated by any suitable means; forex ample, the shaft of the roll 12 may be driven by power imparted to itin any suitable manner, and motion may be communicated from thebedroll12 to the bed roll 13 by means of a belt 20 connecting pulleys011 the shafts of said bed rolls, as shown in Fig. 5.

Means are employed for internally heating the cylinder 18, the preferredmeans being a,

gas pipe 21 mounted on fixed supports 22 on the machine frame, andpassing through openings 23 in the ends of the cylinder, the pipe beingprovided within the cylinder with a series of burners 24, which directjets of flame upwardly when ignited. The cylinder is therefore morehighly heated at its top portion than elsewhere, the object of thisbeing explained hereinafter.

A belt is employed in conjunction with the cylinder and bed rolls, thebelt partially encircling the cylinder and being driven by frictionalengagement therewith, the sheet material 25 to be dried being interposedbetween the cylinder and the portion of the belt that conforms to thecylinder. The

belt is preferably composed of a series of longitudinal sections 26,placed edge to edge, each section being a narrow belt, and the series ofsections collectively making up a sectional belt, the width of whichcorresponds substantially to the len th of the cylinder'. Forconvenience I will hereinafter refer to the belt sections 26 as theouter belt. guides 36, which consist of thin strips or Portions of thisbelt are supported by elevated guide rolls 27 28 whiehhold the topstretch of the belt above the cylinder. From the guide roll 28 the beltpasses downwardly under the bed roll 13 and between the latter and thecylinder. The belt passes around the greater part of the periphery ofthe cylinder, and downwardly under the bed roll 12. In the embodiment ofthe invention now being described, I employ an inner belt con1.

osed of belt sections 29 arran ed ed e to I b b edge to form a sectionalbelt of practically the same width as the upper belt. 1 will hereinafterrefer to the belt formed by the sections 29 as the lower belt. The lowerbelt is supported partly by guide rolls 30 and 31 journaled in hearingson the frame of the machine. The belt passes from. the guide roll 30under the bed roll 13, and is interposed between the sheet 25 beingdried and .the periphery of the cylinder. The lower belt follows thesame course relatively to the cylinder and the two bed rolls as theupper belt, and the paper 25 is held between the two belts in itspassage over the cylinder. The guide rolls 30 and 31 are so arrangedrelatively to the bed rolls that the roll 30 supports a portion 32 ofthe lower belt in position to receive the advancing end of the sheet25-as it comes from a developing tray 33, and guide the end of the sheetto the nip of the upper and lower belts, where they commence to run onthe bed roll 13. The guide roll 31 is arranged to support a portion 34of the lower belt in position to guide the dried sheet out from themachine, the sheet falling over the part of the belt supported by theroll 31 on to atable 35 said rolls 30 and 31 being offset outwardly fromthe bed rolls toward the ends of the machine, so that they supportportions of the lower-belt in the form of substantially horizontalplatforms 32. and 34 projecting outwardly from the bed rolls toward theends of the machine. In this em bodiment of the invention, two dryingcylinders are employed, there being a duplicate 130 of the bed roll 13located at the opposite side of the bed roll 12, the second cylinder 180being supported conjointly by the bed roll 12 and the bed roll 130. Theu per and lower belts pass from the bed rol 12 up wardly and partiallyaround the cylinder 180, and under the bed roll 130.1 On leaving the bedroll 130 the up er and lower belts diverge, the 11 per be t assingupwardly to the guide rol 27, and t e lower belt assing horizontally tothe guide roll 31, and orming the delivering portion 34. Provision isthus made for carrying the sheets in one continuous pass over two heatedcylinders. It is obvious that the number of cylinders and bed rolls maybe increased, if desired. The

' sections of the upper and lower belts are prevented from beingdisplaced edgewise by blades attached to fixed cross bars 37 on thesupporting frame, the guides being interposed bctween' the edges of theadjacent belt sections, and not only preventing displacement of the saidsections, but also preserving longitudinal openings between the same,said openings permitting the escape of steam and vapor from the materialbeing dried.

By applying the heat directly to the top portions of the cylinders, Iprovide for a gradual increase in the heat applied to the sheet 25, theheat increasing from the point where the sheet is first subjected to theaction of the cylinder until the strip reaches the top of the cylinder,where the heat is greatest. l lind that by thus graduating the heatthere is less liability of causing waves or cockles in the paper, thanwould be the case if the cylinder were uniformly heated at all parts ofits periphery.

The enlarged end portions of the bed rolls provide for frictionalengagement between the bed rolls and the cyhnders at opposite edges ofthe belts, and provide for suitable spaces between the body portions ofthe bed rolls and the peripheries of the cylinders for the accommodationof the belts and the inter posed sheet The frictional engagement betweenthe bodies of the bed rolls and their shafts, permits any slip of thebed-roll bodies on the shaft that may be required by variations betweenthe rate of movement of the belts and that of the shafts of the bedrolls. The guide rolls 27 and 31 are preferably adjustable so that theirdistance from the accompanying guide rolls 28 and 30 may be varied toregulate the tension of the belts. To this end the guide rolls 27 and 31may be mounted on arms 38 pivoted at 39 to the frame of the machine,eacharm having an extension 40 forming the shorter arm of a lever, saidextension bearing against an adjustable screw 42. The developing tray 33may be provided with a removable roll or mandrel 43 to support a roll ofunwashed or undeveloped paper, and with a submerged guide 44 below whichthe paper passes from the roll 43. v

45 45 represent wringer rolls between which the paper passes on emergingfrom the tank, one of said rolls being driven by a belt 46 engaged witha pulley on the shaft of the bed roll 12.

, The inner belt 29 interposed between the sheet 25 and the metal of thecylinder, pre

Three bed rolls 48, 49 and 50 are employed,

course to and from the cylinder.

the same supporting and frictionally engaging the cylinder 181. The beltis engaged with the bed rolls 4S and 50, the intermediate bed roll beingemployed simply as a support for the cylinder. The sheet 25 assesbetween the bed roll 48 and the portion of the belt that conforms to thecylinder, and emerges between the said portion of the belt and the bedroll 50, suitable guides 51 and 52 being employed to direct the paper inits To prevent contact between the sheet and the metal cylinder, thelatter is provided with a jacket 53 of any suitable fabric or materialwhich will preventdiscoloration of the blue print paper. The jacket 53constitutes .a

non-metallic member for preventing direct contact between the blue printpaper and the metal cylinder, and the discoloration which would resultfrom such contact, the inner belt 29 also constituting a non-metallicmember which accomplishes the same result. The jacket 53 and the innerbelt 59 are therefore equivalent means for preventing discoloration ofthe paper by the metal of the cylinder.

The cylinder 18 is provided at its ends with inwardly-projeeting annularflanges 218, the inner edges of which form the openings through whichthe pipe 21 passes. Said flanges retain the heat in the upper portion ofthe cylinder.

I claim:

1. A drying machine of the character stated, comprising a plurality ofbed rolls, a hollow cylinder friction ally engaged therewith, means forinternally heating the cylinder, and a belt engaged by the cylinder androlls.

A drying machine of the character stated, comprising bed rolls, a hollowcylinder frictionally' engaged with the bed rolls, a gas pipe extendinginto the cylinder and provided with burners, and a belt engaged with thecylinder and rolls.

3. A drying machine of the character stated, comprising a plurality ofbed rolls, a hollow cylinder frictionally engaged therewith, means forinternally heating the cylinder, a belt engaged by the cylinder androlls, and means for rotating the bed rolls to rotate the cylinder andmove the belt.

4. A drying machine 'of the character stated, comprising a plurality ofbed rolls, a hollow cylinder frictionally engaged therewith, means forinternally heating the cylinder, a belt engaged by the cylinder androlls, the belt being composed of a plurality of longitudinal sectionsarranged edge to edge and separated by crevices, and fixed guides forsaid sections.

5. A drying machine of the character stated, comprising a plurality ofbed rolls, a hollow metal cylinder frictionally engaged therewith, anon-metallic belt. engaging the cylinder and rolls, and a non-metallicmember between the belt and cylinder to prevent contact between thematerial being dried and the metal body of the cylinder, the saidmaterial being passed between the said belt and the member withoutcontact with metal.

6. A drying machine of the character stated, comprising a plurality ofbed rolls, a hollow cylinder frictionally engaged therewith, a beltengaged with the rolls and cylinder and partiallysurrounding the latter,guide rolls for keepingportions of the belt out of contact with thecylinder, and means for varying the distance between saidguide rolls toregulate the tension of the belt.

7. A drying machine of the character stated, comprising a plurality ofbed rolls each having enlarged end portions, a hollow cylinder bearingon the said end portions and adapted to be frictionally driven thereby,and a belt engaged with the bed rolls between their enlarged endportions.

8. A drying machine of the character stated, comprising a plurality ofbed rolls, a hollow cylinder frictionally engaged therewith, a pair ofbelts, portions of which are superimposed and engaged with the bed rollsand cylinder, elevated guide rolls engaging one of the belts, andoutwardly offset guide rolls arranged to support stretches of the otherbelt in the form of substantially horizontal platforms adapted toreceive and deliver the material.

9. A drying machine of the character stated, comprising a central bedroll and two outer bed rolls at opposite sides of the central roll, twohollow cylinders supported side by side on said bed rolls, a pair ofbolts having superimposed portions engaged with the bed rolls andcylinders, guide rolls su porting portions of one of the belts above t1e bed rolls, and guide rolls offset outwardly toward the ends of themachine from the bed rolls, and supporting portions of the other belt inthe form of platforms adapted to receive and deliver the material.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES E. MOSS.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BA'ICHELDER.

